Investigators work at the location where a burned body was found on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013, on Lake Hughes Road, a few miles east of the Golden State (5) Freeway and just south of Castaic Lake. (Hans Gutknecht/Los Angeles Daily News)

A badly burned body was discovered Wednesday morning near Castaic Lake, but authorities can’t say if it’s connected to the disappearance of a teenager who has been the subject of a massive search in the surrounding area.

A cyclist riding on Lake Hughes Road a few miles south of the lake and east of the 5 Freeway reported a brush fire about 6 a.m. Los Angeles County firefighters discovered it was a body on fire and extinguished the small blaze.

Detectives said the body was male, but the gender was about all that could be determined because the body was badly damaged in the fire.

“We don’t know a whole lot,” said Lt. Dave Dolson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. “We’ll know a lot more once the autopsy is performed. That will help us figure out what happened out here.”

The death is being investigated by arson and homicide detectives with the Sheriff’s Department. There are surveillance cameras near the area where the body was found and investigators plan to review the video to see if anyone can be seen entering or leaving the area.

The body was found in an area investigators have been canvassing since Saturday in the search for missing student Bryce Laspisa, 19, of Laguna Niguel. His 2003 Toyota Highlander was found overturned nearby with his cellphone, laptop and wallet still inside.

The SUV was found down a small ravine near the entrance of a paved road that leads to the lake’s main boat ramp and the Sheriff’s Department sent divers into the water Tuesday as part of the search.

He was last heard from around 2 a.m. Friday, when he called his mother and said he was tired, according to authorities. Laspisa was driving to Orange County from the Sacramento area to visit his parents in Laguna Niguel.

Authorities declined to speculate whether the burned body could be that of Laspisa, and investigators continued their search for the missing man amid the homicide investigation.

Advertisement

Sheriff’s officials again sent divers into Castaic Lake Wednesday as part of their search for Laspisa, and deputies and search teams continued to canvass the area by foot and car.